Indiana Social Studies S.5.3

Social StudiesGrades 9–12Sociology of Gender

The Standard

Examine how language can reflect and reinforce traditional gender roles.

2026 Indiana Academic Standards: K-12 Social Studies

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students find words that link certain traits or jobs to men or women. They explain what the wording assumes and how repeating it can shape expectations.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student notices that calling a father a 'babysitter' treats childcare as a mother's job. They explain the assumption and rewrite the phrase without it.
Common Misconceptions: Students may miss stereotypes in praise, such as 'girls are naturally caring.' They may also label any mention of gender a stereotype, even when no role is assigned.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: A flyer says, 'Moms, bring snacks. Dads, set up chairs.' Name the assumed roles, explain how the wording reinforces them, and rewrite the request.

Lesson moves

Give pairs word cards labeled 'brave,' 'caring,' 'build,' and 'cook'; sort them as a toy ad might, then explain why that sorting misleads.
Ask: How does calling a dad a 'babysitter' change what we expect from fathers compared with calling him a parent?
Display 'Mom cooks,' 'Dad helps,' and 'Parents cook'; students vote on which line treats cooking as someone else's responsibility.
Compare 'salesman wanted' and 'sales associate wanted' on two mock job ads; have students explain who each ad appears to invite.

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